Sight-feed lubricator



(No Model.) E. LUNKB1\IH`E,I1/1ERl` SIGHT FEED LUBRICATOR.

No. 457,998. Patented Aug. 18, 1891.

Il lv/ me sums vzTzns co., Pun-ro-Ln'wo., wAsmuaroN, n. c.'

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDMUN D IJUNKENHEIMER, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

SIGHT-FEED LUBRICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 457,998, dated August18, 1891.

Application filed February 6, 1891. Serial No. 380,483. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDMUND LUNKEN- HEIMER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State ofOhio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sight-FeedLubricators, of which the following is a description, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specication.

The object of my invention is to simplify and cheapen the constructionof this class of lubricators; and its novelty will be herein set forth,and specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents a central verticalsection of my improved lubricator, part of the condensingpipe and thevalve-chamber and connection being shown in elevation. Fig. 2 is adetail side elevation of part of the lubricator shown in Fig. l. Fig. 3is a sectional detail illustrating a modification.

The same letters of reference are used to indicate identical parts inall the figures.

The principal feature of novelty in my improved lubricator, and thatfrom which its increased simplicity and cheapness over old forms oflubricators are chiefly derived, consists in casting thesight-chamberdirectly upon the side of the oil-reservoir and forming water-inlet andoil-outlet passages in the integral shank which joins them. In mypreferred construction (shown in Fig. l) the passages are formedentirely in the integral shank, part of which extends into the interiorof the reservoir for that purpose; but the passages may, as shown inFig. 3, be formed partly in the integral shank and consist partly ofpipes connected therewith.

My improved lubricator may have either a single or double connectionwith the steamsupply, though I have illustrated only a double-connectionlubricator in the drawings.

In the construction shown in Fig. l the body of the oil-reservoir A, thesight-chamber B, valve-chamber C, and connection D are all castintegral, though the valve-chamber and connection D may be separate, ifdesired. The sight-chamber B is joined to the body of the reservoir A bythe shank E, which projects into the interior of the reservoir, as

shown. In the upper side of the casting, preferably just above thesight-chamber, is an interiorly-threaded recess F, into which is screwedthe lower end of the condensing-pipe G. From the bottom of the recess Fa hole a is drilled into the shank E obliquely downward toward theinterior of the reservoir, and from the upper side of the shank beneaththe filling-hole of the reservoir a second hole a is drilled obliquelydownward in a transverse direction until it intersects the hole drilledfrom the recess F. These two holes form the water-inlet passage I, bywhich water is delivered from the condensing-pipe to the reservoir, andthe shape of the passage is such as to form a trap which prevents theoil from passing from the reservoir to the condensingpipe G.

From the interior of the lower open end of the sight-chamber B a hole Jis drilled obliquely upward through the shank E, opening into thereservoir adjacent to the upper end of the passage a. This hole formsthe oil-delivery passage for conveying oilfrom the upper part of thereservoir to the bottom of the sight-chamber. The lower end of thepassage J may communicate with the sightchamber through any suitablevalve and nozzle. In the drawingsI have shown a familiar construction,in which the interiorly-threaded lower end of the sight-chamber isclosed by a screw-plug K, provided with' an exterior annular groove b,communicating by radial openings c with the central vertical passage d,which terminates in the feeding-nozzle e in the sight-chamber- The lowerend of the passage J opens into the annular groove b, so that the oildelivered lfrom said passage passes through the openings c into thevertical passage d and up through the feedingnozzle e. A valve-stem L,carried by the plug K, controls thepassage through the nozzle e. Thecircularpenings in the opposite sides of the sight-chamber are closed byglass disks. M, held in place by the usual screw-rings M and packing,and through which the feeding of the oil may be observed.

The lower end of the oil-reservoir is provided with a suitabledrain-cock N, and the filling-hole in its upper end is closed by ascrew-plug O. The passage through the valve-chamber C for the deliveryof the oil IOO (and the admission of steam where the lubricator has onlya single connection with the steam-supply) is controlled by a valve I.

Where the lubricator has a double connection with the steam-supply, asindicated in that shown in the drawings, I provide an equalizing-pipe Qwithin the condensing-pipe G, the lower end of said pipe Qbeing screwedinto an opening through the bottom wall of the recess F. The object ofthis pipe is to furnish direct passage for steam from thecondensing-pipe G through the valve-chamber C and connection D back tothe steampipe to prevent siphoning, as will be understood by thosefamiliar with the use of this class of lubricators. Vhere the lubricatorhas only a single connection with the steam-supply, suchequalizing-pipeis unnecessary. In such case the only change from theconstruction shown in the drawings is to dispense with such pipe andleave the bottom wall of the recess F solid and to substitute for thecondensing-pipe G an inverted-U- shaped condensing-pipe, the lower endof whose right-hand branch will be screw ed into the upper 'side of thevalve-chamber C and the lower end of its left-hand branch into therecess F, as is common in single-connection lubricators now on themarket, and as illustrated, for instance, in Letters Patent of theUnited States No. 386,596, granted me July 24, 1888. In such case theleft-hand branch of the condensing-pipe may have a condensing-bulbinterposed in it, if desired.

The operation of my improved lubricator will be apparent from the abovedescription of its construction, but may be brieiiy stated as follows:After filling the reservoir with oil and replacing the plug O the valveP is opened, and if the lubricator has a double connection with thesteam-supply the valve interposed between the pipe G and such supply isalso opened. The steam entering the sight-chamber B condenses and fillsthelatter with water up to the level of the passage through thevalve-chamber C. The water formed from the steam condensing in the pipeG flows from the bottom thereof through the passage I into the top ofthe reservoir,

whence it sinks through the oil to the bottom A of the reservoir,displacing the oil and lifting it to the top of the reservoir andforcing it down the passage J and into the annular groove l). Upon nowopening the valve L, whichhas been closed, the oil is forced through thepassages c d and delivered by the nozzle e in drops, which iioat upthrough the water in the sight-chamber and pass out through thevalve-chamber C and connection D to the steam-pipe and parts to belubricated.

In Fig. 3 I have shown the inner side of the integral shank Eterminating iiush with the inner surface of the oil-reservoir and theleft-hand branch of the water-inlet passage I supplied-by a pipeinserted through the filling-hole of the reservoir and screwed into aseat in the shank E or side of the reservoir at the lower end of theright-hand branch of the passage l. The upper portion of theoildelivering passage J is likewise composed of a pipe screwed into aseat in 4the shank E or side of the reservoir and communicating with theannular groove d around the plug K through the hole drilled in the shankE.

I prefer the construction shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, since it ischeaper, more substantial, and fewer parts are required; but myinvention may not be evaded by such modifications as last abovedescribed. The construction shown in the drawings may also be modifiedwithout departing from my invention by dispensing with theupwardly-extending left-hand branch a of the water-inlet passage andinstead drilling the righthand branch a of such passage downward throughthe shank E and screwing into the lower end a pipe of proper length toextend nearly to the bottom of the reservoir. In such case the shank Ewould be cast thick enough to afford room for the passage a to bedrilled past the passageJ without the two interfering with each other. Adownwardly-extending waterinlet passage opening into the reservoir nearits bottom will trap the oil and prevent it from escaping to thecondensing-pipe, just as will an upwardly-opening passage at the top ofthe reservoir, and as both arrangements are well-known substitutes foreach other an illustration of such modification is deemed unnecessary.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claiml. In a sight-feedlubricator, the combination, with the oil-reservoir, ot' 4asight-chamber, valve-chamber, and steam-pipe connection, all arranged,as described, upon one side of the reservoir, the sight-chamber being1ocated immediately between the oil-reservoir and the valve-chamber andcast directly upon the side of the reservoir, with water-inlet andoil-outlet passages through theirintegral connecting-shank,substantially as described.

2. In a sight-feed lubricator, the combination of the oil-reservoir,sight-chamber, valvechamber, and steam-pipe connection, all arranged asdescribed and cast in a single piece, the sight-chamber being castdirectly upon the side of the oil-reservoir and their integral connectin g-shank projecting into the reservoir and provided withwater-inlet and oiloutlet passages, substantially as described.

EDMUND LUNKENl-IEIIWIER.-

Titnessesz EDWARD RECTOR, G. S. WENTWORTH.

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